The Honest Truth
by charley07
Summary: Lindsey disappeared six years ago, but she's still greatly missed. As his birthday rolls around, Spiederman's friends work to get her back. Won't be too long, but I liked the idea.
1. Chapter 1

**You can interpret songs in different ways and this is a story based on how I interpret "Sarah." I only changed the name Sarah of the girl for fun; I like the name Lindsey. Anyways, this won't be too long, but I hope everyone likes it and if you review, you're a pretty cool kid, just throwing that out there.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

"Vin Spiederman, 'Sarah,' take one," Kwest said quietly into the microphone on a Friday night as he sat at G-Major with the 20-year-old musician.

Spiederman took a deep breath before he began singing and playing the piano.

_And if you sent a raid out, a raid on me.  
Well tell me that it takes two, to come in secretly.  
And take 'em out and end all end all to be,  
Well tell me are you waiting for someone like me?_

_The honest truth is it is me,  
Oh Sarah don't you know?  
That there's something, there's something to being alone  
Oh Sarah don't you go,  
Cause I'm nothing, I'm nothing on my own._

_And if you sent a raid out, a raid on me  
Well tell me that it takes two to come and rescue me.  
Mmm  
You can take it on the road,  
You can take it over high,  
You could bring it down, to make it on your own.  
You've been takin it hard, you should take it slow._

_The honest truth is it is me,  
Oh Sarah don't you know  
That there's something, there's something to being alone.  
And oh Sarah don't you go,  
Cause I'm nothing, I'm nothing on my own_

_And Oh Sarah, where'd you go?_

_And Oh Sarah, where'd you go?_

_And Oh Sarah, where'd you go?_

_Mmm Sarah, where'd you go?_

_Cause I'm nothing, I'm nothing on my own.  
And don't you know I'm nothing, I'm nothing on my own.  
And Oh Sarah don't you know,  
That there's something, there something to being alone?  
And oh Sarah don't you go  
Cause I'm nothing, I'm nothing on my own._

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

"Who's Sarah?" Tommy whispered to Jude as they sat on the couch in studio A, listening to her best friend sing. "Or is she just made up for the song?"

"Oh, she was real," Jude assured him. "But her name was Lindsey; he only used Sarah for privacy purposes. We grew up with her, him especially. They were like me and Jamie, but he was always so protective of her because it was rumored that her dad was abusive. Anyways, when we came back from winter break during grade 9, she never showed up and no one, including him, has heard from her since."

Tommy was stunned. He could feel the pain in Spiederman's song and he'd never known the guy to have that much depth. "Wow. He was heartbroken, huh?"

"I think so," Jude confirmed. "He puts up a good front, but I know he misses her."

"Well, sure," Tommy shrugged. "He obviously loved her."

Kyle and Wally walked in then and sat on the floor in front of Jude and Tommy.

"So, he's finally recording 'Sarah,' huh?" Kyle noticed. "It's about time. He wrote this song when we were 15."

"Really?" Jude asked. "I know he's had it for a while, but not that long."

Wally nodded. "He wrote it about four months after she left. He never talked about it for so long that we forgot about it, but he brought it up again recently."

"And there's no way to find this girl?" Kwest interrupted, not looking away from the soundboard. "She left no trace?"

"None," Kyle replied. "No phone number, e-mail, or even carrier pigeon."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "I didn't expect a carrier pigeon, but nothing? Really? Not for him?"

Wally shook his head. "No. I mean, we always assumed, based on the way she talked, that her dad beat her up, so we think he probably had something to do with it."

"You don't think he permanently hurt her, do you?" Kwest muttered.

"Don't say that," Jude demanded. "I really liked Lindsey."

"We all did," Kyle put him. "Spied never got over losing her."

"Doesn't her uncle still live around here?" Jude wondered. "Maybe we could talk to him?"

Wally scoffed. "Good luck. Her uncle is Old Man Falmouth, remember? He doesn't talk to anyone, especially kids."

"But how awesome of a birthday present would it be for his party to get her there somehow?" Kyle said. "The guy would lose it."

"Then let's do it," Tommy suggested simply. "The worst is that guy says no. And if that's the case, we'll involve Darius and a private investigator."

Jude turned to her boyfriend of two years in shock. "You're willing to help Spiederman so far as to hire a private investigator? Why? You don't even like him that much."

"He's your best friend," Tommy reasoned. "So if he's that important to you, he's important enough to me."

"Aww," she smiled, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "That's so sweet."

"Tomorrow, he's going to Barrie with his mom to see her parents, so we can visit Lindsey's uncle then," Kyle told them. "He'll be gone all day."

Tommy nodded slightly. "Meet here in the morning at 10:00 and we'll come up with a game plan then."

"Ready, break!" Wally joked as Spiederman left the recording booth.

"What's going on out here?" Spiederman asked. "You guys all looked all secretive while I was recording."

"Stuff for your birthday," Jude lied. "Don't worry about it."

"That's right, dude," Kyle agreed, following Tommy into the lobby. "The big 2-1. You can legally drink."

"Right," Tommy smirked. "Cause he hasn't been doing that since he was 17."

Spiederman shoved the label's vice president. "Very funny. And don't let that get out; the paparazzi thinks I'm a good boy."

"What they don't know won't hurt them," Jude teased. "So, Kyle said you're hitting up Barrie to see your mom's parents? Aren't they the wealthy ones?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "And since I'm of true legal age now, I'll probably sign for my inheritance."

"Inheritance?" Sadie repeated, joining the conversation. "Spiederman, have I ever told you that you're my favorite?"

"You better not tell him that," Kwest jumped in.

Spiederman laughed. "I don't like talking about it much because it's just money."

"How much?" Wally wondered.

"Uhh, about $850,000," Spiederman guessed. "Maybe more, maybe less."

Jude's jaw dropped. "I dumped you and you're getting all that money?"

"Okay, you're living with a guy who has self-made millions and you yourself have millions," Sadie pointed out. "I'm a lowly assistant engaged to an unknown producer and engineer. Here, I'll marry Spiederman for his money, but keep Kwest as my boyfriend on the side that I actually like."

Kwest scoffed. "Yeah, good plan."

"I can't marry you, Sadie," Spiederman told her. "Sorry, but I'm taken."

"By who?" Tommy asked.

"Your sister," Spiederman answered smugly. "We met at Jude's 21st and I'm in love."

Tommy stepped up in front of him. "You stay away from Nic."

"No promises," Spiederman murmured, turning to walk away. "I don't think she can resist all of this."

"There won't be any of that if I kill him," Tommy muttered. "Let's really focus on this Lindsey now so he stays away from my sister."

Kyle nodded. "Trust me, once Lindsey's back in the picture, Spied will be saying, 'Nic who?'"

"That's what I like to hear," Tommy said contentedly.

The following morning, Jude and Tommy showed up at G-Major, sipping coffee, to find Kyle and Wally waiting for them.

Jude looked from her watch, to the boys, and back to her watch. "You're on time. The two of you are actually _on_ _time_. It's a miracle!"

"Shut up," Wally yawned. "Can we just do this? It's College Football Day at our place. The pizza arrives at 2:00."

"Okay, lead the way," Tommy suggested. "Where's this guy live?"

"Bad part of town," Kyle explained, walking down the street. "It's not too far from here and yet, it's miles away."

They walked the streets of Toronto for about 20 minutes before finding themselves in front of a run-down house, with a banged up fence and destroyed from yard.

"Eww," Jude breathed. "This is disgusting."

"Told you," Kyle whispered, pushing the gate open. "Are we ready to do this?"

Wally knocked on the door and it was answered by an angry-looking old man wearing jeans and a red flannel shirt. "What do you want?"

"Hello, Mr. Falmouth," Wally began shakily. "I'm Wally Robbins and my friends and I are looking for Lindsey."

"Lindsey?" Mr. Falmouth grunted. "Lindsey who?"

"Lindsey Slater," Wally answered. "Your niece?"

Mr. Falmouth's face fell. "I can't help you."

"Why?" Jude pleaded, stepping forward. "Why can't you help us?"

"Because," Mr. Falmouth started quietly, "Lindsey's dead."


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I left you with a cliff-hanger, but really, if she'd have died, the story would have ended. But, you meet "Lindsey" in this chapter and she might not be what you expect. I'm glad people are taking to this story and I hope you continue to like it. It still won't exceed like, 8 chapters, if that, I just had to write the idea into something. **

"Dead?" Kyle whispered. "She died?"

"Lindsey Slater died five years ago," Mr. Falmouth repeated. "At least, that's what her father thought." He sighed. "Maybe you kids should come inside."

Tommy gripped Jude's hand as they were led inside his small, poorly lit home. It smelled like mold and had no insulation.

"Have a seat," he offered, motioning to the beat-up couch and chair. "I'll tell you what happened."

The four of them sat down tentatively as he settled in across from them.

"When Lindsey was 15, her mother, my sister, became aware for the first time that Lindsey's father had been beating Lindsey all her life. So, in an effort to stop it permanently, my sister took Lindsey away and completely changed their identities to keep him from ever finding them. Last year, her father died of liver cancer, so Lindsey, who is now known as Heidi Porter, moved back to Toronto, completely safe. Why she hasn't contacted anyone, especially people she was friends with, is beyond me."

"So she _isn't_ dead?" Jude stated. "She just changed everything to get away from her dad?"

"Precisely," Mr. Falmouth confirmed. "Now, if I tell you where to find her, will you leave me alone?"

"Yes," Wally answered quickly. "That's all we want."

Mr. Falmouth sighed. "She works at the diner on the corner of 6th and Callahan. Now, get outta here."

Without another word, everyone filed out of the house and back onto the street.

"That's so crazy," Jude breathed. "An entirely new identity to protect yourself?"

"Her dad was apparently a lot worse than we thought," Kyle realized. "So, should we head to that diner?"

Tommy nodded. "I think that would be best."

The diner was relatively popular amongst the business-types for lunch every day, so it was a nice place. Inside, Jude looked around for a girl with long blonde hair, but in remembering Lindsey had changed everything, she found her a light brunette.

"There she is," she said quietly, pointing to a pretty girl behind the counter. "Should we approach her?"

"Why don't you and me just go sit?" Kyle suggested. "Tommy and Wally can wait in a booth while we talk to her cause we knew her best and Tommy didn't know her at all."

Jude agreed and sat down with Kyle at the counter, waiting anxiously for Lindsey to request their orders.

"Can I help you guys?" she finally asked.

"Well, should we call you Heidi or Lindsey?" Kyle wondered. "Cause we know you as the latter, but you apparently go by the former."

Her head shot up as she recognized them. "Jude and Kyle. I wondered how long it would be before anyone found me here. How'd you do it?"

"Your uncle," Jude told her. "Why haven't you contacted Spiederman?"

"I haven't wanted to," the waitress explained. "And please, call me Heidi so I don't freak people out and lose my job."

"Fine, _Heidi_," Kyle said, "why don't you want to? He was your best friend for ten years and was like your brother!"

Heidi shrugged vaguely. "I grew up and grew out of what we once were. He's a rock star now and that's not a life I want to be involved in."

"So you're going to give up probably the greatest friendship you ever had because of his career?" Jude sneered. "He's still suffering because you've been gone for so long. How can you just not care?"

"I do care!" Heidi snapped. "I just can't see him, okay? Now, either order or you'll have to leave the counter."

Jude stood up. "Kyle, let's go. This was a waste of our time."

"We're having a party for him on Saturday," Kyle told her before turning away. "It's at G-Major and your new name will be on the list. You should come and at least see him; tell him what happened. You owe him that."

"She changed," Jude noted once they were back on their way to G-Major. "Like, seriously changed."

"And not just in appearance," Kyle added. "She doesn't want to see him. How can she not want to see him? They were best friends."

"He can't know about this," Wally decided. "If she comes Saturday, then we'll say we found her and it was a surprise, but if she never shows, we never found her."

"Okay," Tommy nodded. "Better to keep him in the dark then to get his hopes up for nothing."

Jude was having a hard time with this. "I don't like keeping secrets from him; he's _my_ best friend now and he doesn't deserve to be lied to."

"Jude, telling him we found her and she wants nothing to do with him would be worse," Kyle explained. "Lindsey, or Heidi, or whoever she is now, was his life for ten years. How would you feel if Jamie had disappeared and then came back, not wanting to see you?"

"Pretty crappy," she mumbled. "Fine, I'll keep it from him, but I won't like it."

Spiederman showed up at G-Major around 6:30 that night, just to see what everyone was doing.

"Hey," he said when he found Jude in hospitality. "What'd you do today?"

"Uhh, nothing really," she lied, trying to keep her cool. "Me and Tommy just hung out and then we met up with everyone here around 2:00. How was Barrie?"

He shrugged and sat down in a chair. "It was okay. I like seeing my grandparents, but they're so stuffy sometimes. Like, I signed for my inheritance, which will transfer into my account this weekend, but they still gave me all these ridiculous rules about how to handle money properly and stupid crap like that."

"Do they know you've made a few million already?" she wondered. "I'm pretty sure you know how to manage your money."

"Whatever," he muttered. "So, what's going on for the party Saturday? Am I getting any surprises?"

Jude momentarily froze but quickly regained her composure. "I don't know. I guess you'll have to wait and find out."

"I hate secrets, you know," he reminded her. "They don't make friends."

"Good thing we're already friends then, huh?" she teased, walking out to the lobby. "And there could be a few surprises in store, but I promise, you'll like them and thank us all later."

"Us?" he repeated. "So Tommy's involved? The only thing he could surprise me with that I'd like is letting his hot sister show up but he already warned me to stay away from her."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop worrying about it. You'll find out on Saturday night."

"Jerk," he grumbled. "Some best friend you are."

When Tommy and Jude got to their penthouse that night, Jude was still worried about keeping Spiederman in the dark about everything.

"Jude, calm down," Tommy advised. "It's not any of our business to tell him about her if she doesn't want to see him."

"But it's just wrong," she whined, changing into her pajamas. "I mean, what if he eventually finds out that we found her? Then he'd lose two best friends in the course of his life because he would hate me."

"He will _not_ hate you," Tommy sighed. "He might be mad, but he'd have to see you have his best interests in mind, so he'd forgive you."

She sighed as she climbed into bed. "Tommy, I don't know. I just feel like I'm walking on eggshells around him right now."

"It's only until Saturday," he reminded her. "Five more days."

"The longest five days of my life," she grumbled.

When Jude woke up the next morning, she walked into the kitchen to find Spiederman sitting at her kitchen table, staring somberly at the wall.

"Hey," she yawned. "What are you doing here?"

"Tell me why Wally and Kyle are avoiding me like the Plague," he demanded. "They coincidentally both decided to stay with their parents last night and I haven't seen or heard from them since. What's going on, Jude?"

"Why would I know?" she asked, turning away from him to get a coffee mug from the cabinet. "It's Wally and Kyle so you should always expect the unexpected."

He slammed his hand on the table. "Damn it, Jude! Tell me what's going on!"

"Spied, will you calm down?" she requested. "If you wake Tommy before he's ready to be up, he'll kill you. Now, I don't know what's going on with those two, so ask them."

"You're lying!" he cried. "Something happened yesterday that no one is telling me about and I'm getting really irritated. You 'claim' you're my best friend, but you're not acting like it, dude."

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "I _am_ your best friend! Maybe that's why I'm keeping what I know to myself until I'm sure you're ready to hear it."

"That's ridiculous," he scoffed. "What could you possibly tell me that I'm not ready for?"

She shrugged. "You're not ready to know yet, Spied, I'm sorry."

He slid his chair back forcefully. "Fine. But don't count on us talking until you decide I'm ready to hear." And with that, he stormed out of the apartment.

"What was that all about?" Tommy asked, stumbling into the kitchen a moment later.

"He knows something's up," she explained nervously. "And he's mad that I won't tell him. I hate this, Tommy. I told you it would be bad."

"Calm down," he advised. "You two have had little fights before that never last. Why should this one be any different?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know," she replied sarcastically. "Possibly because I'm keeping the biggest secret of all time from him? That I know that Lindsey-slash-Heidi is in Toronto and doesn't want to see him? Stop being so naïve here, Tommy, and realize I know him better than you do. When he says he's mad, and he acts how I just saw him act, he's serious. If he's talked to Wally and Kyle about it yet, they know what I mean."

He took her into his arms. "It's Monday; by Saturday, he'll either know or he won't."

"I have to tell him by Saturday," she told him. "If I don't, I'll lose my best friend."

"Fine," he relented. "On Saturday, if she doesn't show up, then you can tell him."

She closed her eyes. "I wish he'd never have recorded that song and opened Pandora's Box."

"That song will be a hit," Tommy assured her. "It's good."

"No, it's bad," she corrected, sipping her coffee. "And come Saturday night, everyone will see just how bad it is."


	3. Chapter 3

**It's short, I'm sorry, but I had to get this part out to get to the big Lindsey/Heidi-Spiederman show-down. After this, only two more chapters. It's been fun writing this one though. I hope everyone still likes it. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

"He's still not talking to anyone," Kyle noted late Monday afternoon as he lounged in studio A with Jude, Tommy, and Wally. "Every time I try to approach him, he just ignores me and goes in the opposite direction."

"It's for the best," Tommy assured them, though he wasn't so sure himself anymore. "If she doesn't want him to know about her, we can't tell him."

Wally rolled his eyes. "Squinty, stop being so practical. Why should she deserve our respect? First, she left without telling anyone where she was going. Now, she's been back for a year and has absolutely no interest in contacting the guy who was her best friend for ten years. I say we tell him and let him confront her."

"No, we can't do that," Jude sighed. "We just have to pray to God that she shows up here on Saturday or I'm telling him, which could result in the band just becoming the Mind Explosion."

"I hate this," Kyle admitted. "How are we supposed to live with him if he's ignoring us? It's bad enough just being here with him like this."

"Stay with your parents again," Tommy suggested.

"No!" Wally cried. "When I showed up there last night, my mom immediately thought I was moving back in and she started setting up my old bedroom again. I can't go back there."

Jude laughed lightly. "Stay with us, then. We have a spare room and Kyle, if you don't want to go home either, you can have the pull-out couch. Or you guys can fight over the bedroom, I don't care."

"Uhh, Jude?" Tommy interrupted. "Do you realize you're pimping out our penthouse?"

"Yes," she nodded, "I'm aware. Thanks."

"Well, I'll stay with you guys," Wally decided.

Kyle shrugged. "I'm cool at home. My mom and step-dad don't care about me moving back cause they'd never let me."

"Yeah, they sort of hate you," Jude agreed. "Your dad, though, would love it."

"Cause he lives vicariously through him," Wally put in. Everyone stared at him. "What? I have a Word of the Day calendar and last week, one of the words was 'vicariously,' so I try to use it."

"Anyways, it's only a few more days," Tommy reasoned. "He'll get tired of spending all of his time alone and he'll come around; just watch."

They did watch; for the next four days, Jude and the two boys sat and watched as Spiederman just went through the motions without ever uttering a single word to them. By the time Saturday rolled around, he was threatening to not even show up to his own party.

"What do you mean you're not coming?" Darius roared into his phone. "Of course you're coming! This is your party!"

"I don't think so, D," Spiederman sighed as he lounged in their apartment. "I'd like to spend my birthday with people who don't keep secrets from me and since I feel like everyone there is, I'm not coming." He hung up before the mogul could get another word in edgewise.

Darius stormed out of his office and found Jude, Wally, and Kyle setting up the stage for their performance later that night. "You three, in my office, now!" he bellowed.

"Uh-oh," Kyle whimpered. "I don't like crazy Darius."

Jude paled. "I often don't like nice Darius."

The three of them filed shamefully into Darius' office and stood in front of his desk.

"I don't know what's going on with the three of you and your boy Spiederman but fix it before 7:30 tonight or there will be consequences," he told them firmly. "If he doesn't show up to this party I'm throwing for him, you may not have a tour to go on next summer."

Jude took a deep breath. "I'll talk to him."

"Good," Darius nodded. "This is his 21st birthday and I'm making it a big deal but I can't do that if he doesn't show."

Jude left the office, put on her jacket, and walked out of G-Major in the direction of 620. She wasn't sure how she was going to get him to let her inside, but she knew she had to try.

Spiederman was watching _The Departed_ when someone started knocking on the door. Assuming it was the Chinese delivery guy, he opened the door, disappointed to only find Jude.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "I'm not talking to you and I'm definitely not going to that stupid party."

She pushed her way inside. "Yes, you. Spied, even if you don't do it for me, or for Wally and Kyle, at least do it for Darius. How often does he do nice things for people? Uhh, never."

"Dude, it doesn't matter," he said coldly. "My three best friends are keeping some big secret from me and I don't like it."

"If you come to the party tonight, you'll find out," she assured him. "You just have to trust me."

"I don't trust you, but Darius sounded pissed and I don't think it'll be worth it to make him mad," he finally decided. "Tell them I'll be there in half an hour." He then led her out and shut the door in her face.

"He's coming," Jude announced when she walked back into G-Major 15 minutes later. "He'll be here soon and he's still mad, but at least he's coming."

Kyle let out a sigh of relief. "Good, because Heidi showed up and is waiting for him in Tommy's office."

"She's here?" Jude whispered. "Really?"

"Really, really," Wally confirmed. "She looks really uncomfortable and said she's only staying for a few minutes once he gets here."

Jude took a deep breath. "Oh, I hope everything goes okay."

When Spiederman showed up at G-Major, he was immediately flocked by well-wishers and musicians.

"Sorry, everyone, but I have to steal him away for a moment," Tommy interrupted, pulling Spiederman from the center of the big group. "Come on, it's time for surprise number one."

Spiederman pulled himself away from the vice president. "I don't need you to hold my hand, Squinty."

"I know you're mad at us for this secret, but you'll enjoy it once you see what it is," Tommy assured him. "It's cool, I swear."

"I don't think so," Spiederman mumbled. "Unless it's your sister, on your desk, naked."

Tommy tensed up. "Because you're in a bad mood, I'll let that slide for now. Later, when you cool down, I'm gonna kill you." He stopped outside the door of his office. "Brace yourself," he whispered as he pushed open the door.

Heidi had her back turned, looking at Jude's platinum albums.

"Do I know her?" Spiederman asked loudly.

She turned around. "I think so."

"Lindsey?" Spiederman said.

"Maybe you should come inside," she suggested. "We should talk."


	4. Chapter 4

**So, this is the last actual chapter because in my true form, I decided to make the last part an epilogue two years later. It'll be the first time Spiederman and Heidi/Lindsey run into each other again. I was going to make her a brat in this chapter, but I changed my mind and gave her a more personal reason for not contacting him after she came back. Anyways, this is almost it and I hope everyone likes it.**

"Actually, it's Heidi now," she told him as he entered the office and shut the door behind him. "But, yeah, it's me."

He made a move to give her a hug but she pulled back so he distanced himself. "Okay. Well, where have you been? What's been going on? How did you even come into contact with anyone?"

"I was living in Winnipeg with my mom because she finally found out my dad was beating me," she explained cautiously. "So, to protect me, we left one night during winter break and changed our entire identities. As far as he knew, Lindsey Slater was dead. Then, he died last year and I moved back because I missed Toronto. I work at a diner on 6th and Callahan and that's where Jude, Kyle, Wally, and her boyfriend found me on Sunday. They talked to my uncle."

"If you've been here for a year, why didn't you ever tell me?" he whispered. "We were best friends, Lin-, I mean, Heidi."

"And I grew up," she shrugged. "Look, Vince, growing up together, and all the memories, is something I never want to forget, but that's my past and to be honest, I can't go back to that place. I'll always remember what we were, but we just can't be that anymore."

Spiederman sat leaned against the edge of Tommy's desk to face her. "Is that what you came here for? To rub it in my face that we can't ever be friends again?"

"No," she answered softly. "I guess I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay so you can move on. You have friends out there, Wally and Kyle, who want you to be happy. And Jude? She's a much better best friend than I could ever hope to be."

"I don't know," he admitted. "For ten years, from when I first met you in the sandbox at the park across the street from my house, you were my confidante, like a sister. Then, you were just gone and I was a mess for a long time. In fact, I actually have a song that's gonna be released called 'Sarah' that's actually about you; I just changed the name for privacy purposes. I loved you, Heidi or whoever you are now."

"I loved you, too," she assured him. "I just can't go back to my past cause it'll just remind me of my dad and I don't want that. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but getting away from everything that reminds me of him is more important than you and I being friends anymore."

"Wow," he breathed. "I guess I can appreciate your honesty. Well, before you leave this room and we go our separate ways officially, can we just hang out for a little bit? Kinda catch up so I know what's been going on for the last six years before you disappear again?"

Heidi smiled. "Sure."

"They've been in there for a long time," Jude noted as she stared at Tommy's office with Kyle and Wally. "I explained to Darius why he's MIA, but everyone else is getting restless."

"Oh, my God," Kyle muttered, looking to the studio's front doors. "Look who just showed up."

Jude looked over to see Nic Quincy removing her Ralph Lauren Henrietta wool coat to hand to the guy taking outerwear. "She came."

"I invited her," Tommy reported, joining their group. "I sort of sensed the thing with this Lindsey-slash-Heidi would not go like you all hoped and I didn't want him too depressed on his birthday, so Nic is my gift to him."

"Tommy," Jude grinned, reaching up to kiss him. "That's so sweet."

Kyle laughed. "Yeah, pimping out your sister; how nice."

"Hello, all," Nic greeted them. "Nice little party we have going on here, huh?"

Jude hugged her. "It's so nice that you came."

"Hey, I like Spiederman," Nic shrugged. "He's funny and incredibly good-looking. Plus, I hear he's meeting with Lindsey, who he hasn't seen in six years, so someone has to save his ass."

"You know about Lindsey?" Wally asked. "How?"

"He told me about her at Jude's 21st last month," she explained. "He was slightly, and illegally, drunk when he was talking, but he said he really missed her and he was going to start recording a song called 'Sarah' that he'd written about her."

Kyle leaned into Wally's ear. "He must really like her if he told her about Lindsey."

"Yeah," Wally agreed. "A lot."

"So, did you like Winnipeg?" Spiederman said to Heidi.

She wrinkled her nose. "Not really. My mom ended up re-marrying this great guy, Oliver, but I didn't fit in there. I mean, Toronto is so diverse and everything and the entire Manitoba province is so boring. And the weather was very extreme. Like, right now, because it's January, there's probably a blizzard going on right now."

"I don't think I'll ever leave Toronto," Spiederman spoke. "I'm comfortable here."

"And everyone you care about is here," she added. "Your dysfunctional parents, your crazy friends, Jude, and your work."

He chuckled. "And Nic Quincy."

"Who?" she questioned.

"She's the younger sister of our VP, Tom Quincy," he told her. "I met her last month at Jude's 21st party and I fell completely in love with her. But, Tommy's not so big on the fact that I have a huge crush on her, so he keeps her away and I haven't seen her since."

Heidi nodded. "Then call her. Wouldn't Jude know her number? I mean, isn't she dating that Tommy guy?"

"She would," he confirmed, "but it's a little weird. Usually when I like a girl, I can get her cause I'm a rock star and most girls like that. But Nic grew up around them because of her brother, so I don't have that affect on her; I have to work for her and it's kind of exciting. Like, I haven't seen her in over a month and I still think about her a lot."

"Does she like you back?" Heidi wondered.

"No idea," he admitted. "We got along really good, but she's big on the social scene here and I don't know if I'm really her type. Plus, if she hasn't called me either, that doesn't bode well, does it?"

"The Vincent Spiederman I knew and adored all those years ago would never give up," Heidi pointed out. "He'd fight for what he wanted, no matter what or who stood in the way."

Spiederman laughed. "Yeah, well, when I was 14, I sort of thought I was invincible and my greatest enemy was Principal Thompson. He was old and fat while Tommy is relatively young and scary."

"Well, how old is this girl?" Heidi asked.

"Uhh, 23?" he answered. "I think."

"Meaning she's an adult and doesn't need her older brother's permission," she reminded him.

He shrugged. "I don't know. If I was meant to see her again, I would."

Heidi looked down at her watch. "It's going on 10:00, so I should probably get going."

"Oh," he mumbled, standing up from Tommy's desk chair. "Really?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I have to work at 5:30 tomorrow morning for Sunday rush and it's a pain to get up so early."

He attempted to hug her again and this time, she accepted it. "It's good to know you're okay, Lindsey."

Instead of correcting him on her name, she just smiled. "You, too. And hey, even though we can't be what we were, you can always come and visit. I make a mean cup of coffee, or I could do Yoo-hoo if that's still your drink of choice."

"I haven't had that in a long time," he realized. "Maybe I will." He pulled open the door to reveal Jude, Wally, and Kyle waiting expectantly. "Dang, can I at least walk her to the door before you three bombard me?" They stepped aside and Spiederman walked Heidi to get her coat. "Don't forget me."

"I couldn't if I tried," she assured him, kissing his cheek softly. "Be good," she added before disappearing out the door.

"So, that was Lindsey?" a cool, familiar female voice mused from behind. "She was cute."

"Nic Quincy," he smirked, turning to face her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Tommy feared your reunion with Lindsey wouldn't go so exquisitely, so I was called in as a last minute gift for you," she replied.

He pulled her into a hug. "Then happy friggin' birthday to me."


	5. Epilogue

**So I'm posting twice in one day, which I haven't done since I was writing _Third Times the Charm_ because I wanted to finish this story and get it up so I can focus on **_Model Behavior_**because that one will be a long, drawn-out story whereas this was just a few chapters. It was fun to write and I hope people liked it. **_  
_

_2 years later…._

"So, this is it?" Spiederman said to Jude as they stood outside the diner on 6th and Callahan. "It's not so bad."

"No, not really," Jude agreed, placing a hand on her eight-months-pregnant belly. "Very clean and quaint."

Nic smirked on Spiederman's other side. "Quaint. I love that word."

"Nic, shut up," Tommy told her.

"Hey, just because Jude's moody now cause she's pregnant doesn't mean you have to be," Nic pointed out. "Husbands who mimic their wives pregnancy symptoms are whipped and spineless because they're afraid of the wife."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "I'm not moody, I'm just tired of hearing you talk all the time."

"Guys, both of you, shut up," Jude demanded. "We're going inside."

The bell above the door dinged as they walked in and Heidi immediately looked up from the counter and smiled softly at Spiederman. "You guys take the corner booth and I'll be right over to take your orders."

"She looks the same as she did a couple of years ago," Jude noted. "And she looks happy."

"Yeah, she does," Spiederman nodded. "Does it kill you that you can't drink coffee?"

"You have no idea," Jude grumbled. "I'm so tired of milk and orange juice."

Nic smirked. "Then drink coffee. Our mother drank coffee and smoked cigarettes whiles she was pregnant with Tommy and he turned out almost perfectly normal."

"Do you know how much I hate that you're around all the time now?" Tommy asked his sister. "A lot. And I blame you for it," he added to Spiederman. "You guys had to start dating, even though I was against it, and now you're getting married and she's everywhere."

Spiederman laughed. "I like that she's everywhere."

"Aww, thanks, baby," Nic said. "That's so disgustingly sweet and ridiculously cheesy."

"Hey, guys," Heidi greeted them, a pad of paper in her hand. "How's it going?"

"Good," Spiederman replied. "Heidi Porter, this is my fiancé, Nic Quincy. Nic, this is Heidi, who I knew as Lindsey."

Heidi raised an eyebrow. "Nic, huh? And you're engaged? Well done, Vince."

"I'm a little confused, but I'll ignore it," Nic spoke up. "Anyways, it's nice to meet you."

"You, too," Heidi told her. "So, do you guys know what you want?"

Jude browsed the menu. "I'll have scrambled eggs, bacon, two biscuits, and a doughnut."

"All right," Heidi said as she scribbled that down. "Next?"

Tommy looked over his wife's shoulder at the menu. "I'll take a ham and cheese omelet, two sausage patties, and a cup of coffee."

"I just want pancakes and a chocolate doughnut," Nic added. "Nothing to drink."

"Really?" Spiederman said. "Okay, well, I'll have the same, but add two more doughnuts and a large chocolate milk." He handed Heidi the menus.

"Your order will be out in just a bit," Heidi told them. "And your ring is gorgeous," she told Nic.

Nic looked down at her Tiffany & Company Novo engagement ring and smiled back at Heidi. "Thanks. He actually picked it out on his own."

Heidi walked away with their order and Spiederman couldn't help but watch her go. He knew why she couldn't have much to do with him anymore cause of her dad, but he still thought about her every once in a while.

"You all right?" Nic asked him.

"Yeah," he answered. "I just wish things were different with us."

"I know," she nodded. "At least you know she's here and okay. We could invite her to the wedding."

He looked at his fiancé and kissed her. "Thanks."

"Not at the table," Tommy groaned. "I'm getting ready to eat."

Jude rolled her eyes. "Tommy, let them go."

"Thank you," Nic smirked at her brother. "Now, the wedding is in three weeks and we still don't have a DJ."

"I thought Trey was doing it?" Jude said, referring to Darius' nephew who was also Shay's older brother.

Spiederman shook his head. "He's getting paid more for a party in LA that night."

"Why not let Kwest do it?" Tommy suggested.

"He's an usher," Nic pointed out. "We can't have him spinning all night."

Jude shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you then. I know you like keeping everything within the G-Major radius, but I don't see how you can."

"We'll figure something out," Spiederman assured Nic. "We could always offer Trey more money."

"No way!" Nic cried. "He should do it for almost nothing cause I'm practically family. So what if Paris Hilton is throwing some big thing in Hollywood? Let DJ AM play it."

Tommy laughed. "I'll talk to Darius and see what we can come up. He knows everyone."

Heidi returned 15 minutes later with their food.

"Oh, I left your coffee at the counter. I'm so sorry," she apologized to Tommy.

"I'll go get it," Spiederman offered, following her back. "How have you been?"

"Good," she answered. "I see you got the girl?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I did. I actually got her the night of that party and a month later, she was living with me."

"That's good," Heidi said. "She seems to be really nice."

"I'm not sure I'd go that far," he scoffed, "cause she's actually no angel, but I love her for her honesty."

Heidi grinned. "I'm glad you're happy, Vince."

"Thanks," he accepted. "What about you?"

"I've been seeing this guy, Marc, for about eight months now," she reported. "He's a Toronto cop and he's great. He knows about my past and he's okay with it."

"Sounds like a good guy," Spiederman decided. "You should be accepted for who you are now and who you were then."

She nodded. "Yeah, I am. So, I can't believe Jude's married and pregnant. I mean, I read all about the wedding in _People_ magazine, and I heard she was pregnant on _E! News_, but it's so crazy. I mean, she's only what, 23 now? That's so young."

"Well, she's been in love with Tommy since she was 15, so it was time," he replied. "They always had this undeniable chemistry, so they started dating when she was 19 and he was 26 and now they're married with a baby on the way."

"So he's 30?" Heidi guessed. "He doesn't look a day over 25."

Spiederman laughed. "Nic's 25, actually. And he uses a lot of product to look so young."

"Surgery?" she whispered.

"No," he shook his heads. "Just a lot of hair gel and facial creams."

Heidi looked over at Tommy. "Yeah, I can see that; he's kind of pretty-looking."

"Don't tell him," Spiederman advised. "If his ego gets any bigger, his head will explode."

"Well, I should get back to work," Heidi noticed, handing him a coffee cup and a full pot. "Here's his coffee. Stop in again soon and say hi; I'm here almost every day."

"Actually, I know I will sometime this week cause we'd like you to come to our wedding," he explained. "You can bring Marc cause I'd like to meet him."

Heidi smiled. "I'd like that. And he'd like to meet you, too."

"Okay," he said. "I'll see you later then."

When they left the diner 45 minutes later, Jude and Tommy walked away, discussing baby names; they were having a boy and Tommy wanted to name him 'Zachary' while Jude wanted 'Kurt' after Kurt Cobain.

"They'll never decide on anything," Nic scoffed as she let Spiederman take her hand. "So, what did you and Heidi talk about?"

"You," he answered. "And she said she'd like to come to the wedding; she's going to bring her boyfriend."

Nic leaned her head on his shoulder. "Good. I'm glad she's still around for you to see, even if you two aren't really friends anymore."

"We're friends," he corrected her. "In fact, we're blood related cause when we were eight, she and I gave each other cuts on our fingers and swapped blood." He held up his left hand. "See? I even still have the scar."

"How sweet," she teased. "It's funny. You and Heidi share blood because you chose to; Tommy and I share blood because we _have_ to."

Spiederman looked back at the diner once more before turning the street corner. "I guess it just makes me realize she'll always be a part of me cause I want her to be."

"I guess so," Nic agreed. "And in my case, Tommy will always be a part of me because after one mistake, our parents wanted to make sure their genes were defective."

"You know, Nic, I'm not deaf," Tommy called over his shoulder. "And you were an 'uh-oh' baby."

"So were you," Nic shot back. "There's no way Mom and Dad could've tried for you."

"I hope we only have one child," Jude interrupted. "Cause if we produce a boy and then a girl and they're like you two, I'll kill myself."

"Me, too," Spiederman put in. "It's bad enough now."

"It's your fault," Tommy accused him again. "You had to go and fall in love with her."

Nic smirked as they approached upon G-Major. "It's hard not to, brother dear."

"Besides," Spiederman said, opening the studio door, "you gave her to me for my birthday two years ago."

Tommy paled. "And I've regretted it ever since."


End file.
